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Louisville apartment complex inundated with water after latest rainstorm

Residents complain of black mold, soggy carpets

By John Bear

Staff Writer

Posted:
07/25/2018 08:25:43 AM MDT

Updated:
07/25/2018 06:42:48 PM MDT

Water damage and mold are seen in a closet in an apartment at 1602 Garfield Ave. in Louisville. (Jeremy Papasso / Staff Photographer)

Residents at a Louisville apartment complex were standing on soggy carpet after heavy rains on Monday caused leaks in the roof that was damaged by a hailstorm in June.

Scott Marten, with Boulder-based FourStar Realty & Property Management Inc., said five apartments in the 13-unit complex at 1602 Garfield Ave. sustained heavy damage from the rainstorm, including soaked floors and water-logged ceilings.

Other units had water leaking in from windows.

"It was awful," Marten said. "It was a short time period, but it was just a huge, huge downpour. It was pretty significant."

A photograph taken inside one of the apartments showed what appeared to be black mold on a wall, paint peeling off of ceilings. A Daily Camera reporter noticed that the carpet in the floor was soggy with water.

Water damage is seen on an apartment ceiling at 1602 Garfield Ave. in Louisville. (Jeremy Papasso / Staff Photographer)

No residents contacted by the Camera would speak about the situation on the record, but they said that the landlord has not fixed the roof since a hailstorm struck the area in June. Residents reported that water has come down through light fixtures. One apartment has leaked every time it has rained, causing an unpleasant odor and a growth of black mold, a resident said.

"I had to call my renters insurance," the resident said. "It smells. It's not going to be fixed over night. Staying here? I don't know if it's an option."

Marten said that the roofs on the three buildings were patched following a hailstorm in June, but the roof will need to be replaced. In the meantime, he said, more patching will have to happen, and he has hired a company that deals with water damage remediation.

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Louisville has suffered through instances of extreme weather in recent months. On June 18, 2-inch hail struck the city, breaking windshields on cars and denting hoods. In April, a woman was struck in the head and killed by a large tree limb that fell down during a windstorm.

Last year, staff at Avista Adventist Hospital didn't place the large Christmas tree associated with the hospital because hurricane-speed winds damaged the tree.

Marten said FourStar is working with an insurance company to replace the roof, but, in the meantime, a company has come to work on drying out the units and figuring out what steps need to be taken.

He said residents are required to have rental insurance, which should cover the cost of temporary housing, but his company will work with tenants who can't afford to leave. He added that it had not been discussed whether residents would get any of their rent money refunded.

"We can acknowledge we feel bad for the residents," he said. "It's a situation we are aggressively addressing. It was just an unfortunate series of events with the storms hitting us. I do understand their frustration. We are dealing with this as quickly as possible."

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